Uefa Cup: Braga’s Slovakian stroll

Maritimo give Valencia scare; Setubal thrashed in Holland Braga will join Benfica as Portugal’s sole representatives in the group phase of this season’s Uefa Cup. Guimaraes, Maritimo and Setubal ultimately paid the price for being unseeded and landing difficult draws in the competition’s opening round. Although struggling to find their best form in the Portuguese Liga, Braga’s expensively assembled team have been outstanding in Europe. After qualifying for the Uefa Cup through the Intertoto Cup pre-season, Jorge Jesus’s side completed a convincing 6-0 aggregate victory over Slovakian outfit Artmedia last night, winning the match in Bratislava 2-0. Luis Aguiar was the hero for Braga. The Uruguayan scored two first-half goals, the first from the penalty spot and the second a fine 25-metre shot. It is the third consecutive year... [read full story]